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Living Legend
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Awarded: April 2000
(b. March 3, 1962)
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is considered one of the greatest female athletes. An Olympic champion, she won the silver medal in 1984 in the heptathlon -- a two-day event in which athletes compete in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200-meter dash on the first day and in the long jump, javelin and 800-meter race on the second day. In 1988, she won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the Olympics in Seoul, Korea, setting a world record. She also won the gold medal in the long jump. At the 1992 Olympics, she again won a gold medal in the heptathlon.
Related Library Resources
- Read "Celebrating Literacy: Children and Celebrities Call Attention to Reading" from the October 2000 Library of Congress Information Bulletin.
- American Memory from the Library of Congress features panoramic portraits of sports and athletics.
Last Updated: 07/23/2007